Monday, November 30, 2009

I am thankful for... a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. That the boys are getting it. That they, too, are thankful. I know, I know, they really don't know how good they have it. And for that also I am thankful.

I am praying for... Grampa Grasshopper, away in Arizona, hunting elk.

I am wearing... jeans, mock turtle-neck, Christmas sweater :0)

I am creating... Christmas gifts. Being vague on purpose :0)

I am going... to Moms in Touch and later to the last rehearsal. Performances on Friday and Saturday!

I am reading... Little Town on the Prairie. So much more fun than The Long Winter!

I am hoping...Messiah performances go well, as well as the ever-popular Tuba Christmas, on Saturday. Oom-pah-pah.

I am hearing... Wyatt practicing piano - Go Tell It On the Mountain, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

I am remembering... how much snow we had last December, and (don't tell the boys) hoping that we don't have a repeat of that! At least not right at Christmas.

From the learning rooms... planning a bit more wiggle room into our schedule for December. I started to right "a laxer schedule" but that didn't sound right... too much like Ex-lax, or something. Ew.

From the kitchen... elk roast, potatoes, veggies... in the crockpot :0)

Around the house... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (sing along!)

On my mind... lots to do this week, and then I want to make my list... what to do this Christmas season. Some years we have an Open House and other years we just try to invite friends over often. With two Messiah performances the same weekend as Tuba Christmas, I'm leaning toward the latter.

Noticing that... starting to see Christmas lights up around the neighborhood :0)

Pondering these words...
Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

One of my favorite things... finishing things.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Moms in Touch, rehearsal, piano lesson, AWANA, getting a Christmas tree, PTO Day, Messiah, Tuba Christmas, Messiah again... and more I'm forgetting.

Friday, November 27, 2009

I know there are Deaf/HoH folks out there who are very musically inclined.

Tate, not so much.

Oh, he enjoys hearing music, but making it? Well, to be fair, he will frequently sing songs of his own creation, but they definitely fall more into the category of "a joyful noise" than actual music.

And I forget, sometimes, to go to the effort to expose him (and his brothers) to music at home, though I love music myself. In fact, because of his hearing loss, I probably play less music around the house than I would have otherwise. Sometimes it's just extra noise that he has to filter out in order to hear what he wants/needs to hear, and other times... well, with three talkative and otherwise noisy boys running at a pretty high volume fairly often, sometimes I just want the quiet. And in the van, with all the road noise, we have to have the music pretty loud for him to hear it at all, which means it's a choice between listening to music OR having a conversation, but not both.

So the other night I pulled out a CD of Tchaikovsky, cranked up the volume, and we all listened to the 1812 Overture.

Oh my goodness. I've never seen Wyatt so excited by a piece of music. Tate and I stretched out on the floor and I put his hand on the speaker. The music is fairly complex, and I can only assume that he might not be hearing all the interwoven harmonies.

But he heard the cannons. Oh yes, he heard the cannons. Classical music is anything but dull. I mean, hey... any time you can work in artillery, you pretty much have a captive audience at my house.

The boys have stripped their beds, tidied their dressers (a perpetual clutter zone), picked up the playroom, swept the porches, and cleaned up several wheel-barrow loads of windfall from the yard. Yea, boys! (I'm fairly certain some fatherly help was involved, too, so yea Kerry!)

Meanwhile, with all of them outside (and out from underfoot), I:

* cleaned the stove - soooo much better!
* cleaned the kitchen sink/s - a clean sink makes me happy
* cleaned the fish bowl - a clean bowl makes Jack happy
* moved furniture - I always like this -seems like a new room
* washed the windows downstairs - Yuck! When did they get so dirty?
* vacuumed the living room and dining room - all the way to the edges and under the table
* put away all the fall decorations - all clean surfaces
* did four loads of laundry - sheets, throw-rugs, and clothes
* got Kerry to help me move two chairs I've never liked out of the living room and into the playroom, and another chair back to the living room - big visual improvement
* and got through all my music for Messiah once more.

I still need to put fresh sheets on the boys' beds. It's time for flannel! But, all in all, it's been a very satisfying day, and...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I know Tate gets frustrated. A lot. We talk too fast and he misses too much to keep up. And we need to stop. And go back. And repeat it. More slowly, and clearly.

My bloggy friend Denise, at Hearing Elmo, has written about the importance of repeating back what you thought you heard, so the speaker knows what you missed. Because our brains really want to make sense of what we've heard... even if it doesn't quite make sense.

Case in point...

Last night Tate and I were sorting through the tubs of Legos, looking for the pieces to build a particular kit. We've been working on this rebuilding project on and off for months, and the boys and I practically have our own language to describe the pieces we're looking for. Kerry joined us for a while and wanted to compliment Tate.

He said, "Maybe when you grow up, you could work for the Lego company, 'cause you're so familiar with all the pieces."

Tate looked puzzled. And amused. "Whaaaaaat, Dad?"

What he heard was, "Maybe when you grow up, you could work for the Lego company, and you sell the mayor all your pieces."

Monday, November 23, 2009

I mentioned in my Simple Woman post, below, that I was hoping my mom will make the stuffing (or dressing... whatever) in muffin tins.

This is one of the little quirks of our family. We don't cook the stuffing inside the turkey. The very thought of that frankly grosses me out, and it has more potential for things being underdone. No thank you.

For years we've made it in your basic pyrex casserole dish. No problem. Except that many of us, (certainly more than four of us!), really like the crispy corners. So, I thought to myself one year, what if we made the stuffing in muffin tins? It's already in nice portions, and everyone can have it a little crispy! It's win-win :0) Except that you need more muffin tins to equal one casserole dish, and sometimes oven space is at a premium, so it's not perfect. But it's good :0)

And the muffin tin is sadly under-appreciated in many homes, so I thought I'd mention just a few things we've done with muffin tins.

1. Make muffins. (Well, duh.)
2. And cupcakes. (Double duh.)
3. Stuffing.
4. Meatloaf. Cooks faster, and - again - I like the browned edges.
5. Make Rice-Krispie treats, again... already portioned.
6. Sorting Lite-Brite pegs.
7. Carry drinks to the picnic table.
8. Hold paints.
9. Perfect for kids to carry at a pot-luck dinner. It won't bend and sag, like a paper plate, they can put their drink (in a cup!) in one cup, and - best of all - their foods won't touch each other!
10. Even better for a soup potluck. You don't have to pick just one; have a little taste of several.

I am creating... starting another quilt, but not ready to post pictures.

I need to make a lot of squares that are divided into two triangles. Simple, yes?

And I found instructions of how to pin two larger squares together, draw lines, sew next to the lines, cut, etc. and make eight at once. Woo-hoo! I followed them exactly, and it worked.

But, using their exact measurements and the requisite 1/4" seam allowance, all the squares came out exactly 1/2" too big. I triple checked. They must have done it on purpose, so you don't end up with them too small and not be able to use them??? But now I have to trim every single square, and it wasted a lot of fabric. *sigh*

I am going... to rehearsal tonight.

I am reading... multiple accounts, from the 1700's, of children captured by Indians. Many were adopted into a tribe to replace someone who had died. Very interesting.

I am hoping... that Gramma Grasshopper makes the stuffing in muffin tins again this year. You know, so we don't have to compete for graciously let someone-else-who-got-there-first have the crispy corners.

I am hearing... three boys doing Mad Libs. And giggling madly. Because they think I'm not listening (not that it would matter much) they are using verbs like "flatulating", and nouns like "droppings", and other stuff that boys think is hysterical.

I am remembering... last night our church had a pot-luck dinner and a Thanksgiving service. It was wonderful. We sang together (folks from the chapel really sing... I love that!), and several people shared prayers, poems, stories, etc. It was a good balance of letting people express their thanks and praise, but not a free-for-all. (Way to go, Pastor Bert and everyone.)

The only "downside" is that the acoustics at the facility we were using are horrible. Tate couldn't make out a thing anyone said, and it was hard for the rest of us too.

As we all finished singing "For the Beauty of the Earth" Gunnar kind of looked around and asked, "Is there a piano in here?"

I pointed it out, and Mrs. Gibson, seated on the bench. His eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn't seen her nearly every Sunday, and he said, "She's pretty good!"

From the learning rooms... Order of operations (pre-algebra), naming quadrilaterals, multiplying by 5, farming in the 1700's, finishing "Fizz, Bubble and Flash", Audobon and Wyeth, and Thanksgiving devotions.

From the kitchen... oh I love my crock-pot!

Around the house... just a few more days of gourds and Indian corn and Pumpkin Spice candles. Mmmmm. :0)

On my mind... Oh my. If I have to take a long time to come up with something, what does that say about me?

Noticing that... Gunnar still does this funny thing with his mouth when he's concentrating. He really gives his jaw a work-out!

Pondering these words... "Repentance is coming to your senses and going home." Pastor Bert, yesterday's sermon on the Prodigal Son. He's been going through Luke for quite some time now, so I don't think that he picked this passage particularly for this week. Such a familiar story. But I had never before seen how wonderfully appropriate it is for Thanksgiving. Amen.

One of my favorite things... pumpkin pie.

A few plans for the rest of the week... going to my brother's for Thanksgiving, and then cleaning the house from top to bottom, to decorate for Christmas :0)

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Kerry was out on errands today and I sent him by the store for one more turkey. I think that's enough, now.

So today... with the boys' help, we've defrosted the freezer and reloaded it, with an inventory list. (Hurray!) The boys have raked up piles of leaves and windfall - the "droppings" of the big Douglas Fir in the front yard. They've raked/swept the porches, and vacuumed the living room and dining room. They also cleaned the upstairs bathrooms (a long overdue chore).

Now Gunnar has a friend over to play, and I only hear happy sounds :0)

I haven't been online much this week. I could blame it on homeschooling, but that isn't it.

I could blame it on the wind, which has knocked our power off at least twice, nearly every day this week. It doesn't stay off long, but tends to 'surge' when it comes back on. (Plus we've had thunder and lightning again.) So I've had the computer and my sewing machine unplugged a lot. But that really isn't it either.

Actually, I've been busy this week, on my annual turkey hunt. No, I'm not out in the wilderness with a weapon. I've been driving around town, armed with coupons, buying turkeys. I have five in my freezer, and I may go get another one tomorrow.

Go ahead, laugh.

I cook them all year. And at 27 cents/pound it's a pretty good deal :0) One grocery store chain offers a sack full of "fixings" (stuffing, cranberry, a can of beans, can of chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, gravy mix, brown and serve rolls, and 5# of potatoes) and a turkey, up to 20#, for 20 bucks. Bring it on!

Having turkey pot pies in my freezer is my "defense" against ordering take-out when I just can't stand to even think of what to make. I keep bags of cooked, chopped turkey in the small freezer to use in recipes instead of chicken.

I will not, however, be attempting the alternate cooking method, involving halved lemons, suggested in a 'recipe' my mom forwarded.

And, in other news, we're still reading through the "Little House" books. And still liking it. Although right now we're reading "The Long Winter", and let me tell you, it's grueling just to read it. Much less to live through it. Seven months of blizzards. With the wind howling around here lately, I have to turn the heat up to 70F every evening we read!

The boys are really into it. At odd moments through the day they'll say thing like, "What would Laura have thought if she could see...." and then fill in the blank with things we take for granted. Watching a movie. Going to the grocery store. Indoor plumbing.

Of course, they never mention that in the books, and curious minds want to know! They shared some pretty small spaces, as a family, and never once mention an outhouse or a chamber pot.

Monday, November 16, 2009

I am thinking... I tease my boys on days like this by saying, "It's such a lovely day! ... to stay home!" Seems like we have so much to do that I really love the days we don't go anywhere.

I am thankful for... we celebrated Tate's and my mom's birthdays yesterday. Actually, their birthdays were over a week ago, but with Wyatt and my brother and sister all in CA, this made more sense. There were 13 of us at my sister's house for over 8 hours of "Pirate Party"! She had really decorated and made it fun for Tate... and my mom is very tolerant :0) It was all good, fun, delicious, etc. and I'm thankful for the work she put into hosting it.

And I was also thankful to get home, put the boys to bed, and have a QUIET house.

I am praying for... praying for more work for Kerry. God is faithful, I keep reminding myself, because I know it's true. But I do wish he'd send a LOT of work. Months and months worth. Rather than sending it a little at a time. (Hmmm, sort of like the daily manna...)

I am wearing... jeans, sweater, wool socks. Brrrr!

I am creating... I'm getting my sewing stuff out again. Not so much for Christmas stuff (probably too late for that) but I have two friends expecting in the next two months.

I am reading... we're up to On the Shores of Silver Lake in the Little House books.

I am hoping... for inspiration for a few Christmas gifts I still need to get. I'd like to be done by Thanksgiving, but it isn't going to happen.

I am hearing... since we remodeled and put in all new windows I hear a musical sound when the wind howls outside. I don't know if it's to do with the windows (which is where I hear it) or the remodel in general. If I get near the windows I can hear two notes - a fifth apart, and low on the scale, sort of moaning. It's kind of cool.

I am remembering... things I need to do; better add them to the list.

From the learning rooms... King Phillip's War, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, making a magnetic compass from a sewing needle, drawing various leaves, Thanksgiving devotions, and writing Thank You's (Tate and Wyatt).

From the kitchen... when I go out to rehearsal, Kerry is on dinner duty :0)

Around the house... Tate is excited to put together his new lego kit and read his new birthday books, it's definitely time to implement my "chore plan" (which got sidetracked when Tate was hospitalized and then soccer season consumed us), and the laundry - *sigh* - awaits me.

On my mind... the Christmas season is coming closer, and mostly I love that! But I'm nowhere near meeting my goal of being done shopping by Thanksgiving. I really, really like to have all the presents bought/made/organized before December so I don't feel rushed or pressured and I can set a slower, joyful pace for the holidays.

Noticing that... no matter how much I do, the pile on my desk never seems to subside. *sigh*

Pondering these words... Gunnar, giving me a big, eight-year-old-boy, hug around the neck said, "Mom, I'm gonna strangle you with love!" Take that as it was intended :0)

Friday, November 13, 2009

A young woman came in great perplexity to a Scottish preacher, asking how she could resolve the question of her own desires when they seemed to be in such contradiction to the will of God. He took a slip of paper, wrote two words on it, handed it to her with the request that she sit down for ten minutes, ponder the words, cross out one of them, and bring the slip back to him. She sat down and read: No Lord. Which to cross out? It did not take her long to see that if she was saying No she could not say Lord, and if she wanted to call Him Lord, she could not say No.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Wyatt opted not to take his camera, which was fine, as both Tami and Dave had theirs. I told him he must get a picture of himself with Mickey. I know he's 13, but you're never too old for a picture with Mickey!

No pics yet, but all are back safe and sound :0) We met them at the airport last night, with great joy. They had a fantastic time, nobody got sick (just tired!) and - at home - Gunnar is improving.

I had hoped to do a bunch of fun things with Tate and Gunanr while Wyatt was gone, but we ended up being home a LOT due to Gunnar being sick and the nasty (cold and rainy) weather. We played a lot of games and did a lot of reading :0) Grandma Grasshopper took us (Tate, Gunnar and me) out to lunch and a movie the day after Tate's b'day, as Gunnar was feeling better by then.

Monday, November 9, 2009

I am thinking... about my boys. One in CA, having a glorious time. One seems to be recovering from a mild illness. And another had a birthday today! Tate is eleven!

I am thankful for... my family. The immediate family, mostly asleep as I type. And the extended family who generously love us :0)

I am praying for... the CA contingent, that they are all healthy and having a blast.

I am wearing... blue jeans, blue shirt, blue sweater.

I am going... to bed, momentarily.

I am reading... music! How's that for variety?

I am hoping... Gunnar is truly well tomorrow so we can take Tate out and do something fun for his b'day. (Postponed from today, to let Gunnar recover.)

I am hearing... beautiful music, in my head. I'm just back from rehearsal.

I am remembering... the amazing inspiring sounds of a 75-voice choir.

From the learning rooms... not much going on this week, with Wyatt gone, Gunnar feeling blah, and Tate having a b'day :0)

From the kitchen... all done for the evening. The dishwasher is gurgling away and the floors look mah-ve-lous, me having spent some time sweeping, mopping and waxing today.

Around the house... blessed quiet. The sound of boys sleeping. Ahhhhhh.....

On my mind... why do little boys' heads sweat when they first go to sleep?

Pondering these words... Gunnar, enjoying creaming me at Monopoly, "I'm the typhoon!" Or the tycoon.

One of my favorite things... sleeping little boys :0)

A few plans for the rest of the week... no soccer! November is our rainiest month and I am gloating with joy, as I curl up in my warm, dry house with my boys and books. We've been playing a lot of games too.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

This picture was taken (not by me) last night, at the school Wyatt would be attending if he were in public school. Nobody was hurt, as it happened at night. Don't know the extent of the damage yet, but I doubt anyone will be attending there for the rest of this school year.

Don't think for a moment that I'm gloating about what happened. Many of our good friends are affected.

I am thankful, however, that we're not. :0)

UPDATE:
The school was nearing the end of seismic retrofitting and there is speculation that welders were on the roof until 10:30 the night before, and may have inadvertently caused the fire. I don't know.

Thankfully it was at night and nobody was there, so nobody was hurt. But it was a really windy night and the fire took the whole roof and probably most of the upper floor (library, science classrooms, and I don't know what else.) And, of course, the thousands of gallons of water they needed to put out the fire have flooded the school.

They're looking at options of what to do with the kids - probably send each grade to a different site. In the meantime, they have a one-week unscheduled 'vacation'.

Gunnar loves to play soccer... because it's fun and he's with his friends, but he doesn't have that competitive fire that drives his brothers. Still, he's made great strides this year in diving right into the action and not being afraid to mix it up a bit with the other boys.

In fact, he's concentrating so hard that (look at his hands) in one game he gave himself a blister... on his thumb! I think he was clenching his fists to make himself go faster!

He described the action here like this:

In this picture one of my teammates and I are tryin' to get a goal. I have the ball. Hayden, like we were trained, is going to run up to the goal so I can pass it to him. But I don't remember if we scored that time or not.

After missing the first couple of games this season, due to his appendix, Tate made a fantastic come-back, and has been a joy to watch. He is relentless; he never gives up. And he's becoming much more aware of how the plays develop and is better able to position himself to intercept and disrupt his opponents. He loves playing defense and "mid".

Refueling, with good old water!

One of Tate's coaches started calling him "The Pick-pocket". He has a way of zooming in, out of nowhere, taking the ball away, and moving it upfield almost before his opponents know what has happened!

And win or lose, but especially win (!), Tate has a love for the game that oozes out his very pores.

You may recall, from my recent "Soccer Updates" that we were closing in on the end of the season.

Yes, I love watching my boys play soccer. I love what a good experience it is for them to develop skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. I love that they are usually pretty good about being gracious winners and gracious losers. And I really, really love all the energy they burn off at the practices and the games.

But I also really, really, really love that we're done for awhile. :0)

Having posted very few pictures through the season, let me give you a peek.

Wyatt's league (a combined U13 and U14) didn't have enough teams with enough players to play outdoor, so they had an indoor league. (Less players on the field at a time.) It's very difficult to get good pics in the sportsplex, because the lighting is so dim. I think my sister did a great job, getting these!

The boys sprayed their hair with purple (and orange, for some reason) temporary hair color.

Wyatt, getting the ball out of the area near the goal.

I love that size really doesn't matter very much in soccer. Even though Wyatt is one of the oldest kids in this league, he's still one of the smallest. I love watching him swoop in and out from around the bigger, slower boys.

From the kitchen... Kerry is on duty tonight, and the next few Monday evenings :0)

Around the house... clutter is creeping up on us. Time to beat it back into submission.

On my mind... I love this time of year. I love the cozy feeling of NOT having to take anyone to soccer practice, and having all my kiddos home under one roof during the evening. I don't mind it getting dark early when we can light candles and sit around together and read.

Noticing that... we just went off Daylight Savings Time and WOW is it dark early!

Pondering these words... Men and melons are hard to know. Benjamin Franklin

One of my favorite things... turkey pot pie.

A few plans for the rest of the week... let's see... Moms In Touch is here, then there's a rehearsal, a piano lesson, and AWANA. And that's about it. YIPPEEE!

About Me

I am a Christian, a wife, and a home-educating SAHM to three very enthusiastic boys. Trying to focus their energy, attention, and exuberance is like herding grasshoppers.
I have a dream, from Isaiah… “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” But the reality is more like “Zena, Queen of the Testosterzone!”
We have a lot more "odd" than "awed" in our lives. Welcome to our corner of friendly chaos.